Watching the Movie: Vikings and Dragons
by SheDemon2020
Summary: Harper asks everyone on Berk to the Great Hall to show them all the mistakes they have made. Every Dragon and Viking sitting together in the same room? How is that gonna work? (First story ever published. Probably better than it sounds.)
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD or any of the original characters (the only character I own is Harper, who is of my own creation).**

The Elder had just sealed the Nightmare's fate, along with his own. The Ring was filled of people cheering him on, while his father looked on, overwhelming pride on his face. However, some (**cough*Astrid*cough**) were cursing his existence, quite literally. The scrawny boy in the middle of the Ring blanched, a single thought kept replaying in his mind.

'This cannot be happening! I must be dreaming! No, no, please no!'

However, before anyone moved to congratulate the young teen, a bright light surrounded the Dragon Ring. From it emerged a young woman, wearing blue jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. She had long, curly red hair and excited green eyes, just like Hiccup's, the scrawny boy mentioned earlier. All at once, Vikings were screaming questions, firing them off one right after the other. The mysterious woman raised her hand in the air, and at once, there was complete silence.

"Now, I know you all have many questions, but let me introduce myself first. My name is Harper and I come from a place that is unknown to you and won't be discovered for many more generations. Although, that is not why I came here. I am here to show you a mistake you have all made, and have been making for many generations. So if you would all follow me..." And with that, Harper had disappeared.

Many Vikings just stood there in shock. Then all at once, questions were being fired off, as if they were bullets. The chief tried to get their attention more than once, but it was futile. Then,... "QUIET!" came out of no where. Everyone quickly quieted down.

"Thank you, Gobber," said Stoick. The blacksmith only nodded. "Okay, now that I have everyone's attention... I know everyone is confused and scared, but I believe the best possible solution would be to follow her and see what she has in store for us. Does everyone agree?" Many nods were seen, but few were still confused at what had just occurred."Okay then, follow me to the Hall." Just like the others, Hiccup was confused, but curious to see what was in store for them.

As they entered the Great Hall, they noticed the furniture was moved around to half of the room, facing a giant screen on the north-side of the building. As everyone found a seat, the screen lit up and from the shadows, Harper's voice boomed.

"Welcome everyone! I have asked you all here today to watch something. This video includes the harshness a young man has dealt with all his life, and the adventures he has been on since he made a different kind of friend, one who has also been shown much of the same harshness, for he is the last of his kind." As she was saying this, she was looking directly at Hiccup, who was sitting near the back, so it could not be deciphered by the rest of the village. At this look, however, Hiccup was dawned in realization. 'She knows about Toothless! I need to get out of here and find him.' His breath hitched and became shallower, causing many to look in his direction. He hastily avoided their gazes.

She turned to face the rest of the Vikings. "Now, I would like to invite our other guests into the room, so please don't freak out." Hiccup immediately tensed. He had a sinking suspicion that he already knew who the other guests were.

He was right.

Suddenly on the other half of the room, a huge door slid open out of seemingly no where and in slithered and crawled every single dragon that had once "graced" the shores of Berk, including those in the Dragon Ring. On instinct, all Vikings big and small, reached for their weapons only to realize they did not have them. Quickly, many Vikings moved backwards, including Stoick. Only one Viking was still standing near the creatures, and was slowly inching closer, as if looking for something.

All of a sudden, a black blur raced out of the huddle, racing towards Hiccup. Many of the Vikings put the younger ones behind them at the sight, and many older Vikings shrunk back as well. Stoick and Gobber took a step forward, Stoick trying to scream for his son to run, but he seemed to have lost his voice as terror took over. The Teens had also taken a step forward, ready to help their new "friend". But before anyone could do anything, the blur had Hiccup pinned the floor. Everyone froze at what they heard next, dragons and Vikings alike.

Hiccup was laughing.

"Toothless! You know that doesn't wash out!" laughed the young man in the middle of the room. The Nightfury on top of him stopped and plopped down on top of him, forcing all of the air out of his lungs. No one moved, for the shock from what they were seeing had not worn off yet. The (second) most feared dragon in the land laying on top of the outsider of the village. They seemed to be playing as if they've known each other for all their lives.

Harper's voice rang out in the midst of the laughter. "Toothless, Hiccup, I know you are happy to see each other, but we really need to start the movie." Both of which in question looked up and smiled sheepishly at the girl looking down at them, amusement in her eyes. Toothless settled down in the middle of the room with Hiccup laying on him. Toothless swept his tail around Hiccup, as if he were protecting him from everything and everyone in the room. The Vikings who were still standing stared in shock, some sitting down and staring blankly at the screen, but Stoick, Gobber, and the Teens were still staring at the boy and his Nightfury who were laying on the floor. "If everyone could take their seats," Harper asked, "we can begin." As the rest of the Vikings and dragons settled down, the screen started to move, noting the beginning of the movie.

 **(AN: This is my first story so please R &R so I know how to improve my writing.)**


	2. Dragon Raids

As an image comes into view, Hiccup's voice fills the silence of the Hall.

 ** _EXT. NORTH SEA/VILLAGE - NIGHT_**

 _ **The camera turns to a lone island in the midst of the dark, powerful sea. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting straight out of the water.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O.): This... is Berk. It's twelve days North of hopeless, and a few degrees South of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery.**

The Teens and Hiccup chuckled at his accurate description of their home. Hiccup was glad his sarcastic humor had made someone laugh. Other Vikings just stared from him to the screen, realizing that the Hiccup in the room was not talking.

 _ **The camera drifts overruling hills to reveal a small village nestled on an outcropping of sea mounts.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O.): My village. In a word... sturdy. And it's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new.**

"Wait, why is every building new?" Tuffnut asked before getting hit by his sister and told to shut up.

 _ **The camera drifts closer, circling the village.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O.): We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests.**

Both Vikings and dragons alike chuckled at the bluntness of Hiccup's statement. Although, his statement also had some Vikings grumbling about all the sheep they lost.

 ** _Sheep are grazing peacefully on a hillside, when suddenly one is snatched._**

 **HICCUP (V.O.): You see, while most places have mice or mosquitos, we have...**

 _ **CUT TO: INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS**_

 _ **A door is pulled open... right as a Monstrous Nightmare swoops directly toward it, blasting a stream of fire. The door is quickly slammed shut as the fire licks around the sides, illuminating the doorway and the gangly teen hiding behind it.**_

 **HICCUP: ...dragons.**

Both Vikings and dragons alike stared at the screen, wondering what they could be watching. Toothless perked up when he heard his rider's voice on the screen. Those who saw this were confused as to why the beast did what it did.

 _ **EXT. STOICK'S HOUSE**_

 ** _Hiccup reopens the burning door and leaps off the front porch, running into the midst of the fight. Vikings of all sizes are pouring out of buildings, ready to face the incoming threat. More and more dragons start to swarm to the village, setting rooftops aflame and hauling off sheep to their island prison._**

Stoick looked at the screen with an exasperated look. "Why can't ye just stay inside for once, son?" Hiccup looked over at him and shrugged, not knowing what to say. This annoyed his father to no end.

 **HICCUP (V.O.): Most people would leave. Not us... we're Vikings.**

Many Vikings looked back in annoyance, questioning looks on their faces. "What does that have to do with anything?" said Astrid, voicing what everyone was thinking.

 **HICCUP (V.O.): We have stubbornness issues.**

Many started nodding, this being a fact. "That's me," Tuffnut said. "A stubborn Viking!"

 _ **Vikings sounded the alarm and more Vikings started to pour onto the streets, axes and swords in hand. Hiccup was darting through the mass of people, staying out of the way, and making his way through the battle.**_

Many people stared at the screen in wonder at how he was not being trampled by the Vikings storming by. Near the back, Hiccup groaned, remembering this night completely and how badly he screwed things up.

 **HICCUP (V.O.): My name's Hiccup. Great name, I know, but it's not the worst. Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that.**

Many people chuckled at the bluntness of his statement. Stoick grumbled, 'Does Hiccup not like his name? I know it isn't the strongest name, but...'

 _ **Dragons swept back and forth, dodging the axes and bolas that were thrown their way. They blasted through the Viking ranks, trying to make their way to the sheep, hoping it would please their queen. A burly warrior gets tossed by an explosion, knocking Hiccup and himself to the ground.**_

 **VIKING (fiercely): Arggghhhh! (cheerily insane): Mornin'!**

Everyone started to laugh at the insanity of the Viking on the screen, both dragons and Vikings alike.

 _ **Hiccup gets to his feet and continues to rush past the gigantic mob of men and women.**_

"One of the perks of not weighing a hundred pounds," Hiccup stated, making the Teens laugh as many other Vikings grumbled in protest.

 **HOARK: What are you doing out?**

 **BURNTHAIR: Get inside!**

 **PHLEGMA: Get back inside!**

Many Vikings nodded in agreement to the fact that during a raid, Hiccup should not be allowed outside. A sting of hurt pained him in the back of his chest, but he pushed it away and continued to watch.

 _ **Hiccup passes a silent ox of a Viking, who was picking his ear.**_

 ** _The camera moves once more to focus on the biggest Viking in the tribe. As Hiccup tries to run passed, he grabs onto the back of his tunic and pulls him out of the way of a strafing dragon. He holds him up, as if to show everyone they had made a mistake._**

"Here we go again," Hiccup mumbles under his breath.

 **STOICK: Hiccup?! (accusingly to the crowd) What is he doing out again?! (to Hiccup) What are you doing out again?! Get back inside!**

"Like you care," Hiccup mumbles, but this time it was heard by a few Vikings. Stoick was hurt by his son's words, not believing for a second that he would actually say that. 'Does it really look like I don't care?' he thought to himself. Toothless curled tighter around Hiccup, trying to comfort his rider. If Hiccup were to look up, he would have seen one lone Viking girl that looked on him with a half pitying, half questioning expression.

 _ **The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard. He sets down Hiccup, who once more breaks out into a run, and looks to the sky, searching.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O.) (in awe): That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby, he popped a dragon's head clean off its shoulders. Do I believe it?**

At this line, Hiccup turns green, thinking of the story that had once fascinated him as a child.

 _ **Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it to the sky, knocking a dragon right out of the sky.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O.): Yes, I do.**

 _ **An explosion causes Vikings to duck, while Stoick stands tall, brushing flaming debris off his shoulder.**_

Many Vikings found the admiration Hiccup had for his dad cute. Hiccup started to shift nervously at the fact that all of his private thoughts were being broadcasted for everyone to hear. He then stiffened, recognizing the surroundings and time when that specific raid was occurring and immediately thought of the cove, finding Toothless, and the danger they were now in.

 **STOICK (barking to his men): What have we got?**

 **VIKING #1: Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare.**

 **STOICK: Any Night Furies?**

 **VIKING #1: None so far.**

 **STOICK (relieved): Good.**

Toothless shifted, proud of the legacy he has and how feared he has become. Hiccup pushed Toothless' head, silently telling him to stop being so smug. To retaliate, Toothless hit his rider on his head with his tail. Grumbling, Hiccup turned back towards the movie, rubbing his now sore head.

 **VIKING: Hoist the torches!**

 _ **Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the night sky, and revealing a whirlpool of dragons of all types. Below, Hiccup crosses the open plaza and ducks into an open building with a tall chimney.**_

 _ **INT. BLACKSMITH STALL**_

 ** _He crosses behind a counter where a peg-legged, one-armed hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs appendage._**

 **GOBBER: Ah! Nice of you to join the party. I thought you would have been carried off.**

 ** _Hiccup dons a leather apron and starts to clean up lose appendages._**

"You really need to learn how to clean up after yourself, Gobber. You have a nasty habit of leaving things lying around." Hiccup laughed at the look on his teacher's face. Gobber turned to glare at the boy laying on the floor. All of a sudden, the room was filled with a quiet rumbling noise coming from the dragon on the ground. At this, Hiccup started to laugh, everyone else staring at him like he was mad.

He looked up at everyone. "What?" he asked. "He's laughing at Gobber." Everyone just kept staring.

 **HICCUP: Who me? Nah, come on! I'm _WAY_ too muscular for their tastes. They wouldn't know what to do with... all _this._**

 _ **Hiccup stikes a bodybuilder pose.**_

 **GOBBER: They need toothpicks, don't they?**

The hall erupts in laughter, the awkwardness from before slowly drifting away as they take in the Blacksmith-Apprentice relationship, one that left Stoick wondering when him and his son drifted apart.

 ** _Hiccup gets to work, transferring bent and broken weapons from the window into the forge to be repaired. Vikings kept coming one right after the other for replacements so they can take part in the battle raging on behind them._**


	3. The Nightfury

_**CONT. - INT. BLACKSMITH STALL**_

 **HICCUP: The meat head with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little.**

"I think you mean littler, and who you calling a meat head, _Toothpick_?" Gobber called out.

"Awe come on Gobber, I am just stating a fact," came the cheeky reply from the floor. "You are pushing you luck, kid. I'd watch out if I were you." Hiccup just laughed, brushing off the threat, as he had gotten used to them long ago.

 **HICCUP (CONT): Well... littler.**

Stoick smiled to himself at that. He is brought back to the time he brought the curious little six year-old to Gobber's stall for the first time. He was instantly taken with all the machinery and tools that were in the shop. Stoick remembered coming back to the main room and finding his son covered in soot, trying to make something out of the little scraps of metal that were lying around.

 ** _EXT. VILLAGE_**

 ** _Zoom in on Stoick yelling orders at the masses of Vikings running through the heat of battle._**

 **STOICK: We move to the lower defenses. We'll counter-attack with the catapults.**

 _ **An army of armed men and women rush past, flanking others who carried sheep to safety. Stoick follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon sets fire to a house, the flames consuming it in a matter of seconds.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O.): See? Old village. Lots and lots of new houses.**

 **VIKING: FIRE!**

 ** _In response to the warning, the fire brigade charges through the plaza to get buckets of water. The fire brigade consists of four Teens, tugging a large, wooden cask on wheels. From the cask, the Teens fill buckets with water to douse the fire consuming the house. Among them, a cute, energetic blonde catches the young man's eye from the Blacksmith Stall. He tries to catch a glimpse of her by leaning out of the stall window._**

 **HICCUP (V.O.): Oh, that's Fishlegs, Snotlout, the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, and...**

 ** _As he says each name, those mentioned appear on the screen, rushing to put out the fire._**

 **HICCUP (V.O.): _Astrid_!**

 _ **At this name, the young blonde hurls the bucket of water onto the house and turns as a dragon off screen shoots a blast of fire, giving her an almost sexy look.**_

Hiccup slouches down, trying to hide in the darkness. His secret crush on Astrid was just revealed to the entire VILLAGE, including the girl of his dreams. Snotlout and the Twins started to laugh, making fun of Hiccup's crush.

"Yeah like someone like Astrid would like someone like you, Fishbone. You are completely useless and she should be with a real man, just like me!" Snoutlout laughed. The Twins started laughing as well, while Fishlegs just looked over to where Hiccup should be, feeling bad for the Cheif's son.

Just as he was about to say something, another voice piped up. "Snotlout, I wouldn't say stuff like that when I have my fearsome friend next to me ready to pounce." Everyone looked towards the voice and saw the young man standing with a calming hand on Toothless' face, who looked ready to kill. Snotlout went white as a sheet and sat back down.

 _ **The others joined Astrid on the screen, walking in slow motion away from the fire as it burned behind them.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O.): There job is so much cooler than mine.**

 _ **Hiccup discreately tries to join them as they walk passed the Stall. With one leg already out of the Stall, he is suddenly hooked by on the back of the tunic by Gobber.**_

 **HICCUP: Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date.**

 **GOBBER: You can't life a hammer, you can't swing an ax,...**

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't be working at the forge if I couldn't lift a hammer, Gobber." All you heard from Gobber's seat was a small "oh". Hiccup just laughed.

"Wait, you aren't even supposed to be making anything." Gobber glared. Hiccup paled at this, knowing now his father knew of his _activities_.

 _ **Gobber grabs a bola from one of the shelves.**_

 **GOBBER: You can't even throw on of these.**

 ** _A Viking comes running by and grabs the bola out of a surprised Gobber's hands and hurls it at a Gronkle flying towards them. It wraps around the Gronkle's legs, making him crash into the ground. Hiccup, however, ready with an answer._**

 **HICCUP: Yes, but this will throw it for me.**

 ** _He puts his hand on a machine behind him, and the top springs upward, shooting a bola at Gobber, who dodges and smacking the Viking behind him in the head._**

The twins looked excitedly at the machine. "Can we try it?!" Everyone in the Village shouted at once: "NO!"

 **VIKING: ARGHH!**

 **GOBBER: See! This is what I am talking about.**

 **HICCUP: Mild calibration issue.**

 **GOBBER: Hiccup, if you ever want to get out there and fight dragons, you have to stop all of...**

 ** _Gobber starts gesturing to Hiccup's form._**

 **GOBBER: ...this.**

 **HICCUP: You just pointed to all of me.**

 **GOBBER: Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you.**

Gobber looks very proud of this statement. Hiccup just glares at him before laughing. Everyone else joined in, knowing he didn't mean it personally.

 **HICCUP: Ohhhhh...**

 **GOBBER _(mockingly)_ : Ohhhhh, yes.**

 **HICCUP: You sir are playing a very dangerous game. Keeping this much... raw... Vikingness... contained. There will be consequences.**

Just then Harper's voice came booming into the room. "He wasn't kidding. I'd watch out if I were you." Hiccup and Toothless just laughed, while both dragons and Vikings alike just sat there confused.

 **GOBBER: I'll take my chances.**

 ** _Gobber tosses him a sword._**

 **GOBBER _(con't)_ : Sword. Sharpen. Now.**

"Man! Someone is bossy," Hiccup teased. "Well someone has to be with yeh, lad." Hiccup just shook his head, a smile on his face.

 ** _Hiccup lifts it with some trouble and begrudgingly lobs it onto the grinding wheel. He looks off into the distance and starts to daydream._**

 **HICCUP (V.O): One day I'll get out there, because killing a dragon is everything around here.**

Hiccup started looking very green as the Hiccup on the screen said that. The dragons shifted uncomfortably, finally realizing why they were being hunted by the Vikings.

 ** _EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS_**

 ** _Nadders were gathering like seagulls around a seemingly vacant house, cornering the sheep._**

 **HICCUP (V.O): A Nadder head would get me at least noticed.**

 ** _The Nadders clambered onto buildings, tearing roofs and walls apart. Sheep pour out and scatter. Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick up drying racks of fish and fly off._**

 **HICCUP (V.O): Gronckles are tough, but taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend.**

Hiccup blushed as his personal thoughts being shared with the whole village. Astrid glanced over to where she thought Hiccup was, blushing slightly at what he said.

 _ **A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop and breathes gas into a chimney. A second dragon head then pokes through the door and sparks fly through its teeth. I lights up the gas and blows the building up. Through the flames, the two heads curl together revealing a single body.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O): A Zippleback? Exotic. Twice the heads, twice the status.**

"AWESOME!" the twins yelled in unison. staring at the screen like little kids on Snoggletoff. The Vikings got scared, imagining what it would be like if the twins worked together with the mischievous creature.

 **CATAPULT OPERATOR: They have found the sheep.**

 **STOICK ( _f_ _rustrated_ ): Concentrate fire over the lower bank.**

 **CATAPULT OPERATOR: FIRE!**

Hiccup watched the screen with a terrified face as boulders started to rain down on the Nadders surrounding the sheep.

 ** _The scene changes as the camera focuses once more on the catapults. A red blur flies by, spraying the base of the mechanism with its sticky fire._**

 **HICCUP (V.O.): And then there is the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after them. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire.**

Snotlout looks up at the screen in awe as the Monstrous Nightmare comes into view through the flames. "Awesome! King of the Dragons right there." He does not think he has seen anything as deadly and dangerous than the dragon on the screen.

The Monstrous Nightmare in the room stood proudly, knowing now that he is one of the most deadliest and feared dragons of them all.

 **STOICK: Reload! ( _quietly and deadly calm_ ) I'll take care of this.**

 ** _Stoick jumps off the catapult, hammer ready, and smashes into the dragon with all of his force. Suddenly, a loud, ballistic moaning sound is heard. The Vikings on the catapult duck in fear. Stoick turns to look up at the sky, pausing his fight with the dragon. The Monstrous Nightmare takes flight, knowing what that sound means._**

 ** _CONT. - INT. BLACKSMITH STALL_**

 ** _Hiccup looks up from what he is working at, reacting much like the others to the building sound._**

 **HICCUP (V.O.): Then there is the ultimate prize, the dragon no one has ever seen. We call in the-**

 **VIKING: NIGHTFURY! Get down.**


	4. He Actually Hit It?

_**On the screen, Vikings all across Berk had taken cover, not wanting to be caught in the Nightfury's blast.**_

Hiccup laughed as he watched the reaction of the Vikings on the screen, knowing fully what a sweetheart his best friend is. However, the other Vikings did not like this. "What are you laughing at?! That monster could kill us all with one swipe of its giant paw if it wanted to." Toothless started to growl at the Viking who said that, but was calmed by the hand of his rider on his head.

 ** _Vikings everywhere had started to duck down and hide as the moaning grew louder and louder. The moaning continuously builds._**

 _ **CONT. - EXT. CATAPULT**_

 ** _The Monstrous Nightmare had frozen to look over where the sound came from. He stops fighting and takes flight into the sky. Once this happens, Stoick looks skywards, trying to pinpoint the time._**

 **STOICK: JUMP!**

 ** _The Vikings on top of the catapult all jumped down right as a purple ball of fire had hit the catapult with a gigantic KABOOM._**

 **HICCUP (V.O.): This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and…**

 ** _The catapult goes up in flames, crippling. The moaning sounds starts to recede until it is almost nonexistent._**

 **HICCUP (V.O.): ...never misses. No one has never killed a Nightfury, and that's why I am gonna be the first.**

Hiccup shook his head, thinking how stupid his wish used to be. "I completely take that back, Bud. I don't know what I would do without you." Hiccup said to his best friend, petting Toothless' head.

 ** _INT. BLACKSMITH HALL_**

 ** _Gobber traded his hammer hand for an axe, getting ready to join the raid outside._**

"Now aren't you glad I cleaned up all your hands, meathead?" Hiccup's mentor just looked at him with a blank look. "Okay, I am shutting up now…"

 **GOBBER: Man the fort Hiccup. They need me out there!**

 ** _As he is heading out, he pauses and turns back to his young apprentice._**

 **GOBBER: Stay. Put. There. Ah! You know what I mean.**

 ** _With that, he turns around and runs, screaming, into the fray of battle. The camera focuses back on Hiccup as a deadly smirk crosses his face._**

Yeah I am not gonna stay, Hiccup thinks. All of the Vikings in the room groaned as they saw the smirk crossed his face, knowing what was about to happen.

"Gobber! Why did you leave him alone?! Did you think that was a good idea?" Stoick said.

 _ **EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER**_

 ** _WHAM! Hiccup plows out of the blacksmith hall and into the fray of battle and the crowd of Vikings waiting for their weapons to be fixed._**

"It most definitely was not!" Gobber stared at the screen and then quickly whipped his head around to glare at the boy who was trying to hide from Stoick and Gobber's glares.

"What were ya thinkin', ya walking toothpick? Ya could've been hurt or lifted off!"

The boy in question smiled sheepishly.

 ** _He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as fast as his legs could take him._**

 **VIKING (O.S.): Hiccup, where are you going?!**

 **VIKING 2: Come back here!**

 **HICCUP: I know! His voice starts to fade as he gets farther from the blacksmith hall. Be right back.**

 _ **ON THE PLAIN BELOW**_

 ** _The Nadders have cornered the house, which was full of sheep. They get closer, deadly smiles on their faces, ready to spring upon when the time was right._**

 ** _Stoick suddenly appears, throwing a net over the surprised dragons. They are caught._**

 ** _Stoick and his men move in and hold down the net, not letting them escape._**

 ** _An angered Nadder then blasts a hole in the net, causing Stoick to muzzle it, not wanting them to escape._**

The Nadders watching had let out a whimper, as they had been once in the same position. As the dragons looked over the crowd, they had noticed the young hatchling was glaring at his father. Was he… protecting them? No, he couldn't be. That's not possible.

 **STOICK: Mind yourselves! The Devils still have some juice in them.**

 _ **ON THE PLAIN ABOVE**_

 _ **Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking catapult and drops the handles of his creation to the ground. He starts cranking several levers, unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption.**_ _ **He drops a bola onto the chamber and then pivots the weapon on a gimbal head toward the dark sky.**_ _ **He listens, with his eye pressed against the scope, hand poised on the trigger. He hears the screech of the mysterious Night Fury approaching… and turns his aim to the defense tower. As it closes in for the final strike, completely camouflaged by the night sky.**_

 **HICCUP (TO HIMSELF): Come on… give me something to shoot at. Gimme something to shoot at.**

 _ **KABLAM! The tower topples over, the blast and the fire illuminating the mysterious dragon for a split second. Hiccup's eyes narrow and he pulls the trigger.**_

 _ **The arms of his invention snapback, flinging the bola forward as it was supposed to earlier.**_

Oh so now ya wanna work? Hiccup thought.

"Woah! That looks-" Ruffnut started. "Awesome!" Tuffnut finished.

 ** _The bola disappears in the night sky, until it was followed by a whack and a screech._**

"I'm sorry, bud. You know I didn't mean to," Hiccup said, as he pet Toothless. "But I do not regret it as we would have never met." Toothless purred, nudging Hiccup with his snout.

The rest of the Vikings and, even the dragons stared at the screen in shock, not believing Hiccup the Useless, the runt of the village who had always screwed up, had actually shot the "unholy offspring of lightning and death itself" out of the sky.

"He actually did it!" Snotlout was in shock. "How did my wimpy cousin shoot down a dragon before me?!"

Astrid, instead of looking towards the screen in shock, looked at the boy in the midst of the dragons. He looked like he was going to be sick, not wanting to believe that he had actually shot down the dragon. She then saw him turn towards the Night Fury and start talking to the beast, almost as if he was reassuring himself.

"Hiccup! I am so proud of you! I am so sorry I did not believe you before!"

"Dad, i-it's okay! It d-doesn't really m-matter."

"What are ye talking about? You shot down that beast! Without any help at that! We need to get a search party together like you said! If it's still down there-"

"DAD, STOP!" Everyone stared at Hiccup in shock, not believing he had just yelled at his dad, the chief to stop.

"L-let's just get back to the movie." Everyone was still just staring at him. "please" came the weak plea.

Harper just nodded. "Everyone pay attention to the movie, it's starting up again."

 **HICCUP (surprised, then elated): Oh! I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that?**

 _ **Hiccup's victory is short-lived, however, when a Monstrous Nightmare appears as he is turned around, slithering up the side of the cliff and stepping on his contraption.**_

 **HICCUP (sarcastically): Except for you.**

"How are you always so sarcastic?" The teens just stared at him.

Despite the situation, a few Vikings and Dragons had chuckled. He sure had a very weird sense of humor.

"But seriously, it's just my luck! Out of all the dragons, of course, I get a Monstrous Nightmare!" More people laughed as he said this because it was true.

 _ **On Stoick still holding down the Nadders who were trying to grab at the sheep. A familiar holler sounds throughout the village and Stoick looks to where it had come from.**_

 ** _ **Stoi** ck sees Hiccup running through the plaza, screaming, with the deadly beast closing in fast._**

 ** _Alarmed, Stoick leaves the netted Nadders in the hands of the other Vikings helping him._**

"You really scared me there, son." Hiccup looks up at his dad in shock when Stoick grudgingly admits to this.

 **STOICK (to his men): Do NOT let them escape.**

 ** _EXT. - IN THE PLAZA_**

 _ **Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges the near-fatal blast. The Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire sprays all over buildings and roads, setting them aflame. Hiccup ducks behind the final standing brazier - the only shelter available to him in that moment of time.**_

 _ **The Nightmare blasts the brazier, spraying fire all around him.**_

"Oh you are so dead, ya walking Fishbone." Hiccup glares at Gobber. "No I am not, I'm still here, aren't I?" Gobber rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately."

 ** _Once the fire blast stops, Hiccup peers around the side of the brazier, looking for the beast who was chasing him. As Hiccup peered around the side of the poll, the Monstrous Nightmare sneaks around the other side of the brazier._**

"Wow, dude. Your luck actually stinks." Hiccup turns to Ruffnut. "I know."

 _ **Hiccup turns back around and finds the dragon's leering smile, knowing he has nowhere to run. It takes a deep breath and Hiccup knows he is finished.**_


	5. Hiccup's Mess

_**Suddenly, Stoick between the two, tackling the Nightmare to the ground. They start to tumble and wrestle, continuing their earlier fight. The dragon opens his mouth, ready to fire at the giant of a Viking, only to find that he was out of blasts.**_

 _ **The Nightmare's eyes softened as he realized what was about to happen.**_

"Oh no…" Hiccup's eyes widened. "No dad, don't hurt him!" Everyone just stared at the screen, the Vikings with glee and the dragons with fear.

 **STOICK: You're all out!** _ **He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly with his hammer, driving it away. The dragon takes to the sky, fleeing before the Viking Chief could do any more damage. Winded, Stoick turns to Hiccup .**_

 **HICCUP (O.S.): Oh, and there is one more thing you need to know…**

 _ **The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the flaming iron basket crashing down. It bounces down the hill, destroying whatever was in its path as it went. Vikings scattered, not wanting to catch on fire. The Vikings who were left in charge of the netted Nadders ran as the brazier rolled towards them. The captured dragons escape… with several sheep in tow.**_

Everyone just stared at the screen, all of them wondering how one small, runt-of-a-boy could cause this much damage. Ruff and Tuff just stared at the screen in awe, loving the amount of destruction caused during the raid. They all laughed with him. "Oops." Hiccup smiles sheepishly.

 **HICCUP: Sorry… dad.**

 _ **EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA**_

 _ **The escaped Nadders fly by the Vikings with sheep in their grasps. The raid is over and the dragons had clearly won. The murmuring crowd eyed Stoick, awaiting his response to his troublesome son.**_

 **HICCUP (** _ **con't**_ **): Okay, but I hit a Nightfury.** _ **Stoick grabs Hiccup by the scruff of his collar and hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment.**_

"Sorry about that, son," Stoick said, sheepishly. Hiccup turned to him and nodded.

 **HICCUP (** _ **con't**_ **): It's not like the last few times, Dad. I mean I really actually hit it. You guys were busy and I had a very clear shot. I-It went down, just off Raven's Point. Let's get a search party out there before it-**

 **STOICK: STOP! Just… stop.** _ **He releases Hiccup as everyone else in the crowd goes silent, staring expectantly.**_ **Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an** _ **entire village**_ **to feed!**

 _ **Hiccup looks around. All eyes are on him.**_

 **HICCUP: Between you and me, village can do with a little less feeding, don't ya think?** _ **A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously, looking down at their beer-bellies.**_

The Vikings laughed. It was true. That boy definitely had a weird sense of humor.

 **STOICK: This isn't a joke, Hiccup! (** _ **exasperated**_ **) Why can't you follow the simplest of orders?**

 **HICCUP: I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just… kill it, ya know? It's who I am, Dad.**

"No it's not, Dad. I'm sorry but I will never kill dragons. It is not who I am," Hiccup sounded different. Stoick looked back towards him and saw the determined look on his face. _He looked like a chief…_ Stoick thought.

 **STOICK: You are many things, Hiccup. But a dragon killer is not one of them.**

 _ **Hiccup looks around after his dad had said that. Many Vikings nodded in agreement.**_

 **STOICK: Get back to the house. (** _ **to Gobber**_ **) Make sure he gets there. I have his mess to clean up.**

 _ **Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction as Gobber pushes Hiccup through the village, making him walk the walk of shame once more.**_

The Vikings and dragons just stared at the screen, finally realizing what they had put the poor boy through all of those years. The shame and embarrassment he felt every time he had tried to help or make a difference in the village.

Astrid had just turned towards Hiccup, feeling horrible for how she had treated him over the years.

 _ **They pass the teen fire brigade as they are laughing at him for his disaster.**_

 **TUFFNUT: Quite the performance.**

 **SNOTLOUT: I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped.**

 **HICCUP: Thank you. Thank you. I was trying so…** _ **Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare, embarrassed that he had messed up in front of her. Again. He heads up towards a large house, standing prominently on the hill above the others.**_

 **HICCUP: I really did hit one.**

 **GOBBER: Sure, Hiccup.**

 **HICCUP: He never listens.**

 **GOBBER: Well, it runs in the family.**

"Oh shut it, Meathead."

Look who's talking, ya walkin' Fishbone."

 **HICCUP: And when he does, it's always with this… disappointed scowl. Like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich. (** _ **mimics Stoick**_ **) Excuse me barmaid. It seems you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra large boy with beefy armys. Extra guts and glory on the side. This here… this is a talking fishbone.**

 _ **By the end of his sentence, Hiccup's voice cracks.**_

Hiccup looks down, embarrassed that everyone knew of his insecurities. Everyone was just staring at the screen. _I never knew he felt this way,_ Stoick thought. _I did this._

 **GOBBER: You're thinking about this all wrong. It's not so much what you look like. It's what's** _ **inside**_ **that he can't stand.**

"Wow… you just made me feel so much better! Thanks Gobber!" Hiccup said, rolling his eyes. "Ya welcome fishbone!" Gobber said, clearly not hearing the sarcasm in the boy's voice.

 **HICCUP: Thank you for summing that up.** _ **They reach the doorway.**_

 **GOBBER: Look, the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not.** _ **Hiccup just sighs.**_

 **HICCUP: I just want to be one of you guys.**

Everyone looks down at the small boy. _The poor hatchling,_ thought many of the dragons. _No one should ever be treated that way._

Toothless just licked Hiccup's face, trying to cheer up his young rider. "Thanks bud."

 _ **Gobber eyes the young Viking sympathetically as Hiccup walks through the front door.**_

"Everyone knows I am not going to stay, right?" Hiccup asks. All of the Vikings nod, knowing the young disaster that had plagued the village for years.

They watched the screen as the camera shifted to the back of the house, knowing what was about to happen.

 _ **And straight out the back door.**_

"Called it!"

 _ **He hurries off into the woods, determined.**_


	6. I Just Want to be One of You Guys

_**INT. GREAT HALL - DAY**_

 _ **A noisy din of protesting voices leads to Stoick glowering in the firelight, surrounded by his men.**_

 **STOICK: Either we finish them or they'll finish us! It's the only way we'll be rid of them! If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave. They'll find another home.**

 _ **He sinks his blade into a large nautical map, spread out on the table. The blade pierces the middle of an uncharted corner, swirling with painted sea monsters and dragons.**_

 **STOICK (** _ **decidedly**_ **): One more search. Before the ice sets in.**

 **VIKING: Those ships never come back.**

 **STOICK (** _ **matter-of-fact**_ **): We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard.**

"Ooh that line is so iconic!" Harper screeches. The rest of the room looks at her questioningly, not understanding what that sentence meant. "Oh never mind. Just continue. I am not explaining that."

The Vikings and dragons just shrugged.

 **STOICK: Now who's with me?**

 _ **Stoick throws his fist up but no one follows. The crowd shifts in restless silence, head scratches and eyes averted.**_

 **VIKING (** _ **feebly**_ **): Today's not good for me. I've gotta do my axe returns.**

"Yeah I can really see the Vikingness. They're so strong!" Hiccup and Harper both laugh at Harper's sarcasm.

 **STOICK: Alright, those who stay will have to look after Hiccup.** _ **Hands jut up into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic murmurs of prep and packing fill the room.**_

Everyone stared at the screen not believing what Stoick had said. "Well I am so damn sorry that I am such a burden, Stoick." By this point, Hiccup was staring at his father in anger.

"Son-" Stoick started. "I-I didn't mean it like that." Stoick stared at the floor sheepishly. "Oh no. I think it is very clear how you _meant_ it."

Hiccup just continued to glare at the ground, not looking at anyone's reactions.

 **PHLEGMA THE FIERCE: To the ships!**

 **SPITELOUT: I'm with ya, Stoick!**

 **STOICK (** _ **dry**_ **): That's more like it.**

 _ **The Vikings rush to the door, leaving Stoick and Gobber alone. Gobber gulps back the contents of his tankard attachment and scrapes back the bench.**_

 **GOBBER: I'll pack my undies.**

"Gobber what is it with you and your undies?" Tuffnut asks. "Well-" Gobber starts.

"No, don't ask! You will only regret it!" Gobber glares at Hiccup as the dragons and Vikings laugh at his announcement.

 **STOICK: No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits.**

 **GOBBER: Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy, Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor sharp blades, lots of time to himself… What could possibly go wrong?**

 _ **Stoick sinks into the bench besides Gobber, his brow burdened.**_

"Nothing will go wrong! I am excellent in the forge. Only cut myself badly a… few times." Hiccup finishes his sentence very sheepishly.

 **STOICK: What am I going to do with him, Gobber?**

 **GOBBER: Put him in training with the others.**

 **STOICK: No, I'm serious.**

 **GOBBER: So am I.** _ **Stoick turns to him glaring.**_

 **STOICK: He'd be killed before you let the first dragon out of its cage.**

 **GOBBER: Oh you don't know that.**

 **STOICK: I do know that actually.**

 **GOBBER: No, ya don't.**

 **STOICK: No actually, I do!**

 **GOBBER: No ya don't!**

"Thanks for standing up for me Gobber. You really didn't have to." Gobber glances over at the small boy. "No problem Hiccup. I would do it again and again, no questions asked." Hiccup just smiled at him.

 **STOICK: Listen! You know what he's like. From the time he could crawl he's been…** _ **different**_ **.**

 _ **Gobber takes a swig of his tankard but chokes and loses his rock tooth in the process.**_

 **STOICK: He doesn't listen. Has the attention span of a sparrow. I take him fishing and he goes hunting for… for TROLLS!**

 **GOBBER (** _ **defensively**_ **): Trolls exist! They steal your socks. (** _ **darkly**_ **) But only the left ones. What's with that?**

 **STOICK: When I was a boy…**

"Oh, here we go," Hiccup rolls his eyes.

 **GOBBER: Oh, here we go.**

"Hey I knew what you were going to say!" Gobber laughs at him. "Well that's not creepy at _all_."

 **STOICK: My father told me to bang my head against a rock and I did it. I thought he was crazy but I didn't question him.**

 _ **Gobber tries to get his rock tooth, sticking his hand into the tankard and when that fails, he drinks the rest of the liquid inside, catching the rock tooth between his teeth.**_

 **STOICK: And you know what happened?**

 _ **Gobber rolls his eyes, placing the rock tooth back in his mouth before banging it back into place with his tankard.**_

"You got a headache?"

 **GOBBER: You got a headache.**

"Hey he did it again!" Tuffnut looked on at the screen amazed. He turned to his twin sister. "Do you think he can read minds?" Ruffnut's eyes widened. "I don't know! Hiccup tell me what I am thinking!" she yells back at the scrawny boy. "Oh Thor," Hiccup says, shaking his head.

"That's not what I was thinking!" Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Ruff, Tuff I can't read minds."

"Yeah there is no way someone like Useless could have a power that cool."

"Thank you, Snotlout, for clearing that up." Hiccup rolled his eyes.

 **STOICK: The rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do Gobber. He could crush mountains, level forests, tame seas! Even as a boy, I knew what I was what I had to become.**

 _ **Stoick sits heavily on the bench once more, facing away from Gobber.**_

 **STOICK (** _ **beat**_ **): Hiccup is** _ **not**_ **that boy.**

Hiccup looks down in shame. Although he had heard this many times before from everyone in the village, it had hurt the most coming from his father.

Toothless nuzzles the small boy's chin, trying to make him feel better. "Thanks bud. I'm okay."

 **GOBBER: You can't stop him, Stoick. You can only prepare him. (** _ **beat**_ **) Look, I know it seems hopeless. But the truth is you won't always be around to protect him. He's going to get out there again. He's probably out there now.**

 _ **The camera moves to focus on Stoick as Gobber's words hit their mark.**_


	7. I Did This

_**EXT. WOODS - ON AN OPEN NOTEBOOK - DAY**_

 _ **A drawn map of the island, covered in x's is shown on the screen. The camera zooms out to show Hiccup looking at the notebook. He looks up from it, squinting, and peeks over a gorge, expectantly but he doesn't see anything.**_

"You're telling me you went _to look for it_? With _no_ back up?! What is wrong with you Hiccup?" Stoick shouts at the young boy. He says nothing in return. Gobber pulls his friend down by his elbow and signalling to the screen.

 _ **He adds another 'x' to the page and then scratches his pencil over the whole map in frustration.**_

"Woah what did the notebook ever do to you?"

 _ **He snaps the book closed and pockets it.**_

 **HICCUP: Ugh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire** _ **dragon**_ **!**

"Even though I have already said this, you have the _worst_ luck, Hiccup," Ruffnut laughs. "I know," he responds, flatly.

 _ **Hiccup wacks a low-hanging branch. It snaps back at him, hitting him in the face. He looks up to see a snapped tree trunk. His eyes follow it to a long trench of up-turned earth and his eyes widen as he puts two and two together.**_

 _ **He follows it to a downed, black dragon. Its body and tail tangled in the bola that had hit it the night before. It appears to be dead as Hiccup approaches it, beaming.**_

 _I didn't think he would actually have found it,_ Astrid thought.

 **HICCUP (** _ **in shock**_ **): Oh wow! I did it. I did it. This fixes** _ **everything**_ **. (** _ **elated**_ **) Yes!** _ **He strikes a victory pose, planting his foot on the fallen Night Fury.**_ **I have brought down this mighty beast.**

 _ **The dragon suddenly shifts causing Hiccup to spring back, terrified.**_

 **HICCUP: Whoa!**

 _ **Hiccup turns his blade on the downed beast. Rattled, Hiccup creeps along the length of the weak, wounded dragon, dagger poised to strike if it made any sudden moves.**_

 _ **The camera zooms in on the Night Fury, following Hiccup's line of sight. Its eyes are closed, almost as if it were sleeping. However, as the camera focuses in on its wing which was covering its face. As the camera and Hiccup move around towards its face, its eyes are suddenly open, staring coldly back at Hiccup.**_

 _ **Hiccup tries to look away but he is drawn back to the dragon's unnerving, unflinching stare. With the dragon safely tangled in the ropes, Hiccup jabs with his dagger, filling himself up with false bravado.**_

 **HICCUP: I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. I am a Viking. I am a VIKING!**

 _ **Hiccup raises the dagger above his head, determined to prove to himself and the entire village that he can be a dragon killer like the rest of the teens. The dragon's laboring breath breaks Hiccup's concentration. He opens an eye, uncertainty leaking through his facade. The dragon holds the stare and something profound is exchanged between the two of them.**_

 _What is going on? Why doesn't he just kill it?_ Stoick thought.

 _ **Finally, the Night Fury closes its eyes and lowers its head, resigned to its fate. Hiccup tries to go through with it, holding the dagger above his head, wanting to prove himself. Fighting himself… but after looking at it once more, Hiccup lowers the dagger on to his head with a frustrated sigh.**_

 _ **He looks over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds, no longer seeing a feared beast but a helpless animal that didn't deserve the torture it was being put through.**_

 **HICCUP (** _ **muttered and ashamed**_ **): I did this.**

 _ **He turns to leave but he pauses and glances back over at the dragon, chest heaving.**_

 _ **Hiccup grumbles. He checks over his shoulder to make sure no one is watching… then hurries back over to the dragon to cut the ropes.**_

 _Is he going to do what I think he is going to do,_ Astrid thought.

 _Oh no, dad is gonna kill me!_ Hiccup thought.

 _ **The Night Fury's eyes shot open. With the dragon watching his every move, Hiccup hurriedly saws through the bola ropes. As the last rope loosens, the Night Fury moves his leg slightly. As the ropes come free, the dragon pounces. In a black blur, the dragon is upon him, pinning the scrawny Viking down, his claws around his neck, squeezing just enough to keep Hiccup paralized with fear but not to kill him. The dragon bores down at Hiccup, looking like it is about to kill him. Hiccup is frozen in fear. The dragon's breath ruffles his hair.**_

"HICCUP!" Gobber and Stoick stare up at the screen in fear for the young boy, not wanting anything to happen to him.

 _ **Hiccup opens his eyes to find the dragon staring back at him with a wolf-like stare boring into him. The exchange is intense, neither Viking nor dragon willing to break it. The beast lifts its head, looking ready to strike the scrawny boy. However, the only thing that came out of the dragon's mouth was an ear-piercing screech.**_

Multiple Vikings covered their ears as if they were in pain, feeling sorry for the young boy who had to endure it up close.

 _ **It turns quickly around and takes flight, fighting to get away from the boy who shot it down. It flaps violently through the canopy of trees but drops out of view some distance away, almost as if it fell out of the sky once more.**_

 _ **Winded, Hiccup struggles to his feet. He gathers up his dagger and staggers a few steps forward but ultimately ends up collapsing to his knees and fainting.**_

"Yer lucky to be alive boy-o!" Spitelout, Hiccup's uncle, said.

"Well if it were any other dragon, he wouldn't have been so lucky." Everyone looked down realizing the depth of what had just happened.

 _ **INT. THE HADDOCK HOUSE - CONTINUOUS**_

 _ **Hiccup enters to see Stoick seated on a thick tree trunk. He is slouched over the fire-pit, stirring the coals with his axe, almost as if he was waiting for someone. Embers waft around his beard.**_

 _ **Hiccup tries to sneak past him after (not so silently) closing the door behind him and get up to his room. Stoick seems none the wiser, when…**_

 **STOICK: Hiccup.**

 **HICCUP (** _ **caught**_ **): Dad, uh…**

 _ **Stoick stands and takes in a deep breath.**_

 **HICCUP: I, uh,... I have to talk to you, Dad.**


	8. Welcome to Dragon Training!

**STOICK: I need to speak with you too, son.**

 _ **Hiccup and Stoick straighten at the same moment.**_

 **HICCUP & STOICK (** _ **same time**_ **): I've decided I don't want to - I think it's time you learn to - fight dragons.** _ **They both stare at each other for a moment.**_ **What? - What?**

"What did they say?"

 **STOICK: You go first.**

 **HICCUP: No, you go first.**

 **STOICK: Alright. You get your wish. Dragon Training. You start in the morning.**

The dragons turned to glare at the scrawny boy, not knowing what to think because clearly this boy fought for the dragons. He reeked of Night Fury.

 **HICCUP (** _ **scrambling**_ **): Oh man, I should've gone first. Uh, 'cause I was thinking, you know we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough bread-making Vikings, or small home repair Vikings-**

"Really Hiccup?" Astrid smiled over at Hiccup. "That's the best you could come up with?"

"Hey it was short notice! I didn't know what else to say!"

 **STOICK: You'll need this.** _ **Stoick hands Hiccup his axe. Hiccup avoids taking it.**_

 **HICCUP: I don't want to fight dragons.**

 **STOICK: Come on. Yes, you do.**

 **HICCUP: Rephrase. Dad, I can't kill dragons.**

"Is this what usual arguments are like in that home?" Vikings were murmuring amongst themselves, feeling pity for the boy who was never heard.

 **STOICK: But you will kill dragons.**

 **HICCUP: No, I'm really extra sure that I won't.**

 _ **Stoick's face hardened.**_

 **STOICK: It's time Hiccup.**

 **HICCUP: Can you not hear me?**

 **STOICK: This is serious son!** _ **Stoick forces the axe into Hiccup's hands. Its weight drags him down. He looks up to see Stoick under-lit with firelight.**_

 **STOICK (** _ **con't**_ **): When you carry this axe… you carry all of us with you. Which means you walk like us; you talk like us; you** _ **think**_ **like us. No more of…** _ **Stoick gestures non-specifically towards Hiccup**_ … **this.**

 **HICCUP: You just gestured to all of me.**

 **STOICK: Deal?**

"This conversation is feeling very one-sided," Hiccup said in time with the moving screen.

 **HICCUP: This conversation is feeling very one-sided.**

 **STOICK: DEAL?!**

 _ **Hiccup glances at the axe in his hands. He already knew it was a lose-lose argument.**_

 **HICCUP (** _ **resigned**_ **): Deal.** _ **Satisfied, Stoick grabs his helmet and duffel bag and heads for the door.**_

 **STOICK: Good. Train hard. I'll be back… probably.**

 **HICCUP: And I'll be here… maybe.**

"Son, what is that supposed to mean?" Hiccup stays silent.

 _ **Stoick heads out the door, leaving Hiccup holding the axe.**_

 _ **EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY**_

 _ **Gobber raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast stone arena.**_

 **GOBBER: Welcome to Dragon Training!**

 _ **The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the colosseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place.**_

 **ASTRID: No turning back.**

 **TUFFNUT: I hope to get some serious burns.**

 **RUFFNUT: I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back.**

 **ASTRID: Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it.**

Astrid rolled her eyes at the twins on the screen, not knowing how they are still alive.

 **HICCUP (O.S.): Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it.**

 _ **The recruits turn to see Hiccup behind them. They all groan.**_

 **TUFFNUT: Oh great. Who let him in?**

 **GOBBER: Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village.**

Hiccup looked at the screen, sick to his stomach at the thought of dragons being killed for sport only.

The dragons in the room look at the small boy who was green, wondering why he was so different than the rest.

 **SNOTLOUT: Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify him or…?**

"Hey I never said I _killed_ the Night Fury. I only said I _hit_ one!"

 _ **The recruits laugh and chatter in the background.**_

 **TUFFNUT: Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings?**

 _ **Gobber throws a supportive arm around Hiccup and ushers him along.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **cheery, in confidence**_ **): Don't worry. You're small and you're weak. That'll make you less of a target. They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead.**

"Wow thanks Gobber. That makes me feel _so_ much better," Hiccup said sarcastically.

 _ **Gobber sticks him in line with the others and continues on toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible roars and bellows issue from within.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight.**

 _ **Fishlegs bounces and giggles with excitement, barely able to contain himself.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): The Deadly Nadder.**

 **FISHLEGS (** _ **under his breath**_ **): Speed eight. Armor sixteen.**

 **GOBBER: The Hideous Zippleback**

 **FISHLEGS: Plus eleven stealth. Times two.**

 **GOBBER: The Monstrous Nightmare.**

 **FISHLEGS: Firepower fifteen.**

 **GOBBER: The Terrible Terror.**

 **FISHLEGS: Attack eight. Venom twelve.**

 **GOBBER: CAN YOU STOP THAT? (** _ **beat**_ **) And… the Gronckle.**

 **FISHLEGS (** _ **quietly, to himself**_ **): Jaw strength, eight.**

 _ **Gobber pulls a lever, raising the cross-beam on the last of the doors.**_

 **SNOTLOUT: Whoa, wait! Aren't you going to teach us first?!**

 **GOBBER: I believe in learning on the job.**

 _ **BAM! A Gronckle thunders out of its cave, charging into the ring like an irate rhino. The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for Ruffnut and Tuffnut who rush towards it, like pumped-up rodeo clowns.**_

 _Why do they love danger so much? They are going to get themselves killed one of these days!_ Hiccup thinks to himself.

Everyone just shakes their heads at the resident twins, knowing fully well how crazy they can be and the dangerous situations they can get themselves into.


	9. Well, This Was Stupid

**GOBBER: Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead. Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need?**

 **HICCUP: A doctor?**

A few Vikings laughed at Hiccup's response to Gobber's question, others just shook their heads, wondering why this… _hiccup_ was allowed anywhere near Dragon Training.

 **FISHLEGS: Plus five speed?**

Once more, Vikings looked at the moving screen in shock, wondering how these young Vikings will be able to defend the village against an attack if they could barely survive Dragon Training.

 **ASTRID: A shield.**

 **GOBBER: Shields. Go.**

 _ **The recruits scramble for shields, finding them scattered around the ring.**_

 **GOBBER: Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield.**

Some Vikings grumbled, not completely agreeing with the Blacksmith's suggestion of the "most important piece of equipment".

 _ **Hiccup struggles to lift his shield. Gobber helps him and pushes him, sending the young Viking running.**_

 _ **Ruff and Tuff stand amidst a dozen shields. But only one has a skull painted on it. They both grab it.**_

Already all the Vikings knew exactly what was about to happen.

 **TUFFNUT: Get your hands off my shield!**

 **RUFFNUT: There are like a million shields!**

 **TUFFNUT: Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers.** _ **Ruffnut uses the shield to bash Tuffnut in the face. He didn't let go.**_

 **RUFFNUT: Oops, now this one has blood on it.**

 _ **The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. BLAM! The shield is blasted out of both of their hands. Tuff and Ruff spin like tops and go down.**_

 **GOBBER: Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!**

 **TUFFNUT (** _ **dazed**_ **): What?!**

 **RUFFNUT (** _ **confused**_ **): What?!**

 _ **The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and swallows them back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring.**_

 **GOBBER: Those shields are good for another thing. Noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim.**

 _ **The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have?**

 **SNOTLOUT: Five!**

 **FISHLEGS: No, six!**

 **GOBBER: Correct, six. That's one for each of you!**

 **FISHLEGS: I really don't think my parents would-**

Dragons stared at the screen, questioning the methods in which these young Vikings were taught.

Toothless turns to Hiccup in question and tilts his head. _Is this what training is always like?_

Hiccup nods in understanding. "Yes," he whispers to his scaly friend. "Yes, it is."

 _ **BAM! Fishlegs has his shield blasted away.**_

 **GOBBER: Fishlegs, out.** _ **Gobber spots Hiccup hiding from the Gronckle's molten slugs.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): Hiccup, get in there!**

 _ **The camera focuses on Astrid bouncing on her heels, ready to dodge a blast. Snotlout appears, trying to hit on her.**_

 **SNOTLOUT: So anyway I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out-**

 _ **She cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past her and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back.**_

 **GOBBER: Snotlout! You're done!**

 _ **Astrid rolls to a stop beside Hiccup, who stirs awkwardly, trying to look cool.**_

Gobber and Stoick both shake their heads as they see the young boy being awkward in front of his crush.

Toothless just laughs beside him, making Hiccup turn and glare mockingly at him.

"Oh what are you laughing at?"

 **HICCUP (** _ **voice breaking**_ **): So, I guess it's just you and me huh?**

 **ASTRID: No. Just you.** _ **Astrid rolls away. A split-second later a lave slug knocks Hiccup's shield clear off his arm. Hiccup is completely exposed.**_

 **GOBBER: One shot left!**

 _ **Hiccup panics and chases after his shield as it rolls across the ring.**_

"NO!" Stoick stands and yells.

Gobber looks down, knowing what was about to happen.

 _ **The sudden movement sends the Gronckle chasing after him, leaving Astrid in the clear.**_

Everyone stared with bated breath, terrified about what was about to happen.

 **GOBBER (** _ **worried**_ **): Hiccup!**

 _ **The Gronckle dives straight toward Hiccup, pinning him against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail, ready to fire point blank.**_

"This is why _hiccups_ should not be allowed in Dragon Training."

 _ **Gobber lungs in and hooks the Gronckle's mouth at the last second, causing its head to jerk back and fire against the stone wall above Hiccup's head.**_

The room was suddenly filled with sighs of relief. Snotlout frowned at the screen.

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): And that's six!** _ **Gobber wrestles the irate Gronckle back into his pen.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): Go back to bed, ya overgrown sausage! You'll get another chance, don't you worry.**

 _ **SLAM! Lock. Gobber turns to the recruits.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): Remember… a dragon will always, (** _ **with a stern look to Hiccup)**_ _**always**_ **go for the kill.**

 _ **He hoists Hiccup to his feet and walks off. Hiccup looks overhead to see a steaming pit in the solid stone wall.**_

 _ **EXT. WOODS/HIDDEN COVE - DUSK**_

 _ **Hiccup, battered after another disastrous day in the ring. He studies the remnants of the discarded bola…**_

 _He didn't…_ Stoick thought. Gobber shook his head, not understanding his young apprentice.

 _Why does he keep going back there?_ Astrid glanced over at Hiccup before shaking her head, wondering why she was so intrigued by this scrawny boy.

 _ **revealing that he's back at the scene of the crime.**_

 **HICCUP (** _ **muttered**_ **): So… why didn't you?**

 _ **He drops the bola and presses on in the direction it flew off. He drops into a rocky crevice and follows it to an… isolated cove complete with a pristine spring pool. He scans the high stone walls… then notices a single black scale on the ground. He crouches and picks it up, studying it.**_

 _What is he doing?_

 **HICCUP (** _ **continued**_ **): Well this was stupid.**

 _ **Suddenly,...**_


	10. The Dragon Manual

_**...the Night Fury blasts past him. Hiccup recoils, watching the massive beast struggle to climb the walls. It flaps violently, then peels away to a rough landing. The dragon is trapped.**_

"This is the perfect chance for you to strike the beast down, son!" Stoick turns, a slight glare on his face. "To make up for your mistake earlier."

Hiccup glared at the ground, annoyed with his dad for not believing in him.

Toothless nudged him, making Hiccup look up and smile, slightly. "Thanks bud, you always know how to make me feel better."

 _ **Hiccup grins, excited to once again see the dragon, and slips forward. He watches as the dragon, exhausted and frustrated, leaps into the air, beating its wings furiously. Again and again, it rolls uncontrolled and crashes heavily.**_

 _ **As if remembering to snap a photo, Hiccup pulls a leather-bound book and flips past drawings of weapons to a blank page. He sketches the dragon quickly, desperate to record the image.**_

Both Vikings and dragons alike stare at the screen as the village screw-up demonstrates he is not as stupid and untalented as they were led to believe.

 _ **The Fury claws at the steep rock walls, trying to climb out of the cove. It slips and falls hard, crushing several of the saplings. The Fury rolls back to his feet and slowly crawls to the water's edge. He spots fish in the shallow water and snaps at them… but comes up empty. He lowers his head, looking weakened.**_

 **HICCUP (** _ **continued & muttered**_ **): Why don't you just… fly away?**

 _ **The camera focuses on Hiccup as he spots the problem. He adjusts his drawing, carefully erasing one half of the dragon's tail.**_

"I'm so sorry, bud."

 _ **He places his charcoal stick on the rock where it accidentally rolls off of the rock outcropping that hides him from view and bounces into the cove. TINK. TINK. TINK.**_

 _ **The Night Fury raises his head, spotting Hiccup sitting on the rock.**_

 _What is he doing?_

 _ **They exchange a profound, unflinching stare.**_

 _ **DISSOLVE TO:**_

 _ **INT. GREAT HALL - NIGHT**_

 _ **A storm is brewing outside. The great doors rattle on their hinges.**_

 **GOBBER (O.S.): Alright. Where did Astrid go wrong in the ring today?** _ **The recruits are seated at a table, eating dinner by the glow of the fire pit.**_

 **ASTRID: I mistimed my somersault dive. It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble.** _ **Eye rolls from the group.**_

 **RUFFNUT (** _ **sarcastically**_ **): Yeah. We noticed.**

 **SNOTLOUT (** _ **grabbing at Astrid's hand**_ **): No, no, you were great. That was so** ' _ **Astrid'**_ **.**

 **GOBBER: She's right, you have to be tough on yourselves.** _ **CREAK. All eyes turn to Hiccup, entering the hall sheepishly. Gobber glares at him.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued - glaring at Hiccup**_ **): Where did Hiccup go wrong?**

 _ **He tries to take a seat at the table…**_

 **RUFFNUT: He showed up.**

 **TUFFNUT: He didn't get eaten.**

… _**but the recruits kept closing the gaps.**_

 _Why didn't I realize what they were doing?_ Gobber thought to himself.

Hiccup looked down, not wanting his dad to see how he was really treated by the other recruits.

 _ **Rolling his eyes, Hiccup sits at the vacant table next to them.**_

 **ASTRID: He's never where he should be.**

 **GOBBER: Thank you, Astrid.** _ **Gobber stands, smacking the twins upside the head as he walks to the head of the table.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): You need to live and breathe this stuff.** _ **Gobber lays a giant book in the center of the table.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): The dragon manual. Everything we know about every dragon we know of.**

 _ **A rumble of thunder shakes the hall. Rain pours down outside.**_

 **GOBBER (** _ **continued**_ **): No attacks tonight. Study up.**

 _ **Gobber exits into the storm, leaving the teens staring at the book.**_

 **TUFFNUT: Wait, you mean read?**

 **RUFFNUT: While we're still alive?**

"Well, when do you think you are going to read it? When you're _dead_?" Astrid asks the twins.

Everyone just shakes their heads.

 **SNOTLOUT: Why read the words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you stuff about?**

 _Maybe because to kill these dragons you need to know_ how _to kill these dragons,_ everyone thought.

 **FISHLEGS: Oh! I've read it like seven times. There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face.**

"Scauldron."

 **FISHLEGS (** _ **continued**_ **): And then there's this one that buries itself for like a week…**

"Whispering Death."

 _ **The teens stare as Fishlegs goes on too long.**_

 **TUFFNUT: Yeah, that sounds great. There was a chance I was going to read that…**

 **RUFFNUT: ...but now…**

 _ **Snotlout gets up to go.**_

 **SNOTLOUT: You guys read, I'll go kill stuff.** _ **The others follow, with Fishlegs in tow.**_

 **FISHLEGS: Oh and there's this other one that has these spines that look like trees…**

"Timberjack."

 _ **Astrid is the last to go.**_

 **HICCUP: So I guess we'll share-**

 _ **Astrid pushes it towards him and stands to leave.**_

 **ASTRID: Read it.**

 **HICCUP: All mine then. Wow, so okay, I'll see you-** _ **SLAM!**_ **-tomorrow.** _ **Sigh.**_

 _ **DISSOLVE TO:**_

 _ **INT. GREAT HALL - LATE NIGHT**_

 _ **The camera focuses on Hiccup's hands opening the massive book. Thunder booms outside. The hall is vacant and dark, but for the few candles he's pulled together. Hiccup pours through page after page of strange and frightening dragons.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O.): Dragon classifications. Strike Class. Fear Class. Mystery Class.** _ **Hiccup turns the page.**_

 _At least one of my students is taking studying seriously… although now I know why he was asking all those questions…_

 **HICCUP (V.O. -** _ **continued**_ **): Thunderdrum. This reclusive dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools. When startled, the Thunderdrum produces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight.**

 _ **Hiccup's eyes drift to a lurid illustration of decapitated Vikings. Another page, another dragon.**_

 **HICCUP (V.O. -** _ **continued**_ **): Timberjack. This gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees… extremely dangerous. Kill on sight.**

 _ **The illustrations seem to take a life of their own, shifting and squirming in the candlelight.**_

Vikings of all ages shuttered when seeing the moving figures. Mothers tightened their holds on their children, not wanting them to see the gruesome pictures until they were old enough.

 **HICCUP (V.O. -** _ **continued**_ **): Scauldron. Sprays scalding water at its victim. Extremely dangerous.** _ **The storm outside rages against the shuttered windows. Hiccup is startled, but presses on.**_

 **HICCUP (** _ **continued**_ **): Changewing. Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight.** _ **He begins flipping through the pages. A blur of dragons…**_

 **HICCUP (** _ **continued**_ **): Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill. Bone Knapper.** _ **Whispering Death**_ **. Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Turns its victims inside-out. Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight…**

 _ **Hiccup's voice gets higher with each word he reads about the different dragons.**_

 _ **Finally, Hiccup gets to the page he's been looking for.**_


End file.
